The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has arrested three men for allegedly sharing sensitive information about Indian defence establishments with Pakistan-based intelligence operatives. The arrests come as part of an ongoing investigation into an espionage racket that has seen eight people arrested so far. The NIA has charged five persons, including two absconding Pakistani operatives, in connection with the case, which was originally registered by the Counter Intelligence Cell, Andhra Pradesh in January 2021.
In the 2017 state assembly polls, the Congress had emerged as the single largest party by winning 17 seats.
"When Amit Shah was in Goa (for campaigning for February Assembly polls), he asked for a Himalaya (brand) water bottle. It was then brought from Mapusa (located around 10km from Panaji)," Naik said, addressing an event in South Goa.
In yet another jolt the Congress ahead of the Goa Assembly polls, the party's state working president, Aleixo Reginaldo Lourenco, resigned as member of the legislative assembly on Monday, reducing the party's strength to two in the 40-member House.
Vishwajit Rane, who had unsuccessfully lobbied for the CM's post, has been given crucial Health and Town and Country Planning Portfolios along with Urban Development, Women and Child, and Forest departments.
Senior Aam Admi Party leader Manish Sisodia on Thursday said they would project a person from the Bhandari community as their chief ministerial face during the Goa assembly elections due early next year.
The biggest jolt the Congress came in 2019 when a group of its 10 MLAs, led by then leader of opposition Chandrakant Kavlekar, left the party together and joined the ruling BJP.
The lowest victory margin of 76 was recorded in St Andre constituency in North Goa, where Revolutionary Goans Party, a new political outfit in the state, made its debut by defeating BJP candidate and sitting MLA Francis Silveira. RGP candidate Viresh Borkar won the contest.
The file allocating the departments was sent to Governor S C Jamir late Wednesday night. A formal notification is expected on Thursday.
Elections to the 40-member Goa Assembly are due in two months. Recent visits by Banerjee, Kejriwal and Prime Minister Narendra Modi heated up things in the otherwise "susegad" atmosphere in the small state.
On Thursday, the BJP emerged as the single largest party by winning 20 seats in the 40-member assembly, just one short of the majority mark, and later said it has secured support from regional outfit MGP, which bagged two seats.
The Association of Democratic Reforms said Goa has set a unique record, which is "unparalleled" in the history of Indian democracy.
Sawant took the oath in Konkani language.
They said this was preliminary voter turnout and the final figure may cross 80 per cent as electoral fate of 301 candidates were locked in EVMs which will be opened on March 10 for counting.
Lucky Farmhouse, a prime witness in the Goa drug peddler-policemen nexus case, on Thursday said she has given a detailed deposition before the Swedish police in which she has named Goa Home Minister Ravi Naik's son Roy.
The Goa Pradesh Congress Committee on Saturday warned its legislators against venting out their anger in public against the party leadership. The GPCC meeting, which was held against the backdrop of a rebellion by five legislators demanding leadership change in the state, was also attended by Goa Chief Minister Digamber Kamat. Goa Congress leaders who took a dig at rebellious legislators, however, shielded the chief minister and refused to seek an explanation from him.
Goa Home Minister Ravi Naik on Monday admitted that the Margao blast, in which two members of a right-wing Hindu group were killed on October 16, indicated an intelligence failure. "Sanatan Saunstha was under the police scanner after the Thane and Panvel blasts in Maharashtra, but despite this they (intelligence agencies) had no inkling of what is being conspired by its members," he said. Two Saunstha members -- Malgonda Patil and Yogesh Naik -- died in the blast.
Main accused in the Margao blast Malgonda Patil had revealed to the police names of those involved in the explosion before his death, said Goa Home Minister Ravi Naik. "Patil made certain statements to the police before his death naming people who were involved (in the blast), while he was being shifted from a hospital in Margao to Panaji," Naik told reporters.
Denying any involvement in the Margao blast, Hindu right-wing organisation Sanatan Sanstha on Monday alleged that Goa Home Minister Ravi Naik is falsely implicating the outfit, to hide his failure in probing the matter. "Naik's remarks that, police are probing our foreign links, is ridiculous. It is indeed a big defeat of the Goa government that they are still unable to find the real culprits. Naik is making these allegations just to hide his failure," a spokesperson said.
The minister said that the Director General of Police B S Bassi must have received wrong information about the drug being easily available at the fest in Candolim beach. Also, he said that there was no delay on the part of state police to inspect the venue and check on the information received by the DGP.
Police were probing the links of right-wing group Sanatan Saunstha with the blast that took place at 9.30 pm on Friday night when explosives kept in a scooter went off on a busy street in Margao, 30 km from Panaji.
Fiona Mackeown, mother of slain British teenager Scarlett Eden Keeling, said on Saturday that she would meet Goa Chief Minister Digamber Kamat and seek clarifications on why the Central Bureau of Investigation's probe into her daughter's death was being delayed. Scarlett was allegedly drugged, raped and left to die on Anjuna beach in February. Fiona, who had gone to UK with Scarlett's body on March 30, arrived in Panaji today evening to follow up the investigation.
Muthalik had expressed his desire to set up base in Goa on the ground that the culture there was becoming extremely westernised. He had said there was a need to change this culture and hence, would be setting up Shri Ram Sena offices in Goa.
A crucial meeting of the Congress Legislature Party to choose Goa's next chief minister got underway in Panaji on Thursday.
"We are writing to the Home and External Affairs ministry not to issue her visa again to come to India. Her entry into India should be banned," Goa Home Minister Ravi Naik, who was accused by Fiona of having links with the drug trade, told media persons in Panaji. He said the state is inquiring into her background and source of income.
Party president Sonia Gandhi nominated Mukut Mithi (Arunachal Pradesh), Peerzada Sayeed (Jammu and Kashmir), Prabha Rau (Maharashtra), B D Kalla (Rajasthan) and Salman Khurshid (Uttar Pradesh).\n\n
The swearing-in ceremony will be held at the Raj Bhavan at 11 am, sources said.
A quick look at the tourist state's history shows that it ventured into political instability only after it attained statehood in 1987 and number of constituencies increased from 30 to 40.
In the 2012 assembly elections, Goa had recorded an impressive 81.8 per cent voting.
The Congress Legislature Party in Goa will meet on Monday to decide on its leader.
In the last two-and-a half years, the Congress has lost 13 of its MLAs to the BJP which now enjoys an overwhelming majority in the assembly.
In what could signal the end of its long-standing alliance with the Congress in Goa, the Nationalist Congress Party on Thursday announced its decision to contest both the seats in the forthcoming Lok Sabha polls.
It is a record that the saffron party has created, where the majority of its legislators belonged to the minority community.
A special court in Margao, Goa, has acquitted all six accused in the 2009 bomb blast case.
'They just want to show that the Congress is in disarray.'
In keeping with the trend seen elsewhere in the country so far, an all-time-high 76.82 percent of the voters exercised the franchise in the two Lok Sabha constituencies of Goa on Saturday.
The Aam Aadmi Party, which entered the fray with much fanfare, failed to make any impact at the hustings.
Amid speculation that he would return to Goa politics, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar on Saturday kept everyone guessing by describing himself as a "party man" who will work as per the directions of party leaders.
The fourth phase of Lok Sabha elections began on Friday, covering seven constituencies in four states where over half-a-crore voters decide the fate of 74 candidates.
The two parties, however, are in a neck-and-neck race in Manipur and Goa.
© 2026 Rediff.com - Investor Information - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Sitemap - Feedback - About us - Terms of use - Grievances